THE Walton Centre has been named as having one of the highest donor numbers in England.

New figures revealed this week there were 22 lifesaving organ donors at the centre last year, helping the UK reach its highest ever number of donors.

NHS Blood and Transplant and the Walton Centre have released the figures to mark the publication of the annual Transplant Activity Report. The report reveals there is growing support for organ donation around the country. Nationally, there was a record number of organ donors, with 1574 people saving lives through deceased organ donation over the last year.

A decade ago, there were nine donors at the Trust, showing a sharp increase in support from local families.

However the overall national shortage of donors remains and there is an urgent need for more people to support donation. Around three people still die every day in need of a donated organ but many people have never told their relatives they want to save lives.

Medical director of the Walton Centre, Andrew Nicolson said: “Organ donation is a lifesaver in many cases across the UK. The increase shows that more people are talking to their loved ones about their wishes, and families are listening to them, which is an important step. It’s a testament to the team at The Walton Centre and staff across the wider NHS, who are working with families to support donation and give the gift of life to other people and their families.”

Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, added: “We’re incredibly grateful to The Walton Centre and all the brave and generous families who agreed to donate their loves ones' organs for lifesaving transplants.

“Organ donation is the only hope for many desperately ill people. We know many families feel a sense of pride and comfort from their decision to save lives through organ donation. We want more people to have that opportunity to save lives.”

There are currently more than 915,000 people from Cheshire and Merseyside on the NHS Organ Donor Register, and over 2.5 million in the North West.

Tell your family you want to save lives through organ donation and join the NHS Organ Donor Register at organdonation.nhs.uk